Riley Gault’s interest in color guard can be found rooted deep within her elementary school years. Afternoons spent observing her neighbor complete intricate spins and twirls with white flags that wove in the air and a practiced ease. She had no knowledge of what this activity was called, or that there was even a name for it, until the eighth grade when she learned about color guard. Gault immediately took an interest and joined when the opportunity presented itself.
Color guard wasn’t easy for Gault. In fact, it was far from it. Practices were demanding, and performances were even more so. Simple failures and quick mistakes were discouraging despite the supportive team that stood alongside her, but Gault was determined to succeed nonetheless, stating that she reminds herself that “Next time will be better,” and knowing that there will be plenty more time to practice in the future helps to keep her spirits high.
These reminders to herself paired with consistent practicing of her given choreography have led Gault to many achievements which she is proud of. “Being able to perform in a cavalcade in front of hundreds of people as well as all the other talented bands.” This is just one of the many things that she has to be proud of when it comes to her career in color guard, as well as her performances in championships, which gave the sport a special place in her heart. “It’s mainly just the adrenaline and excitement and knowing that it’s your last performance for that show and last performance with some of those people.”
Though the sport has mostly a positive impact on Gault’s life, color guard isn’t filled entirely with memories that she is fond of. Color guard also has its hardships and negative memories. Gault recalled one specific instance where a moment didn’t go as planned, it was already pouring rain and the wind was strong enough to knock anyone off their feet, and Gault was not an exception to this. She went into detail about tossing her flag while rehearsing her choreography, though she made a mistake that resulted in the pole hitting her teeth and injuring her. Though she was discouraged and her eyes were tear-ridden and red, she persevered through the pain of the injury, reminding herself that her practice would be over soon and she knew she was going to be OK in the end. “Though it was definitely not fun,” Gault remarked in a comment about the incident.
Gault’s schedule is already busy outside of her sport, with her job and other responsibilities, she manages her time by making sure she isn’t too busy during the color guard season, though she does admit that it has been confusing to work out these issues with her boss and is “grateful to have a boss that is able to be flexible.” Mainly trying to “communicate and try to plan ahead of time” in order to manage.
Believing that she is more productive during the time she is practicing, Gault says she is “definitely more motivated and focused” to do something she truly enjoys. “I don’t want to be the one person who is bringing the team down, because in color guard you work as a whole.” This work ethic has led Gault’s coach to believe that she is a hard worker and a fast learner, traits that she definitely strives to live up to. Her favorite part of being a team is the fact that she has people around to support her and provide reassurance. Gault hopes to have a positive impact on everyone in color guard.
Though Gault doesn’t see herself pursuing color guard as a career in the future, stating that she sees herself becoming a photographer if all goes according to plan, she said in regards to the sport that, “Color guard is just something fun I like to participate in, and is also something that I actively want to work at to get better for my own enjoyment.” The sport has forever impacted her life, impacting everything from the way she goes about working as a team to her own personal confidence and the way she views herself as a person.
